Does Pawlenty have a challenger?

Former Democratic Senator Mark Dayton filed papers today to run for governor of Minnesota in 2010.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty hasn't decided whether he'll seek a third term, and certainly his Presidential aspirations may affect whether he seeks reelection or wins it.

1) With Minnesota's budget in shambles and expected to get worse, T-Paw may want to remain governor until things have stabilized. That way he can restore his record before 2012.

2) But if Pawlenty decides to run for a 3rd term, it's far from guaranteed he'd win, especially if Minnesotans think he'll jump ship for a Prez campaign a year later. Then he'd run the risk of entering a 2012 campaign, having just lost a reelection in his home state. Not only might that brand him a political loser, it would also cast doubt on what would be one of Pawlenty's most attractive political qualities as a nominee -- turning Minnesota red.

So T-Paw's going to have quite a decision to make, even before he makes the ultimate decision of whether to run for President.

Now, about Mark Dayton. He's liberal. So liberal that while Senator he tried passing a bill that would have created a Department of Peace and Nonviolence. So incompetent that even Time Magazine dubbed him one of the Worst Senators in America in 2006 with the headline: "Mark Dayton: The Blunderer" attached to the piece.

So Tim Pawlenty won't need Julie Andrews to sing him "feed the birds" to get to sleep tonight (plus, i don't think pawlenty can afford to give out toppins at this point).